Straight from their first release in 2014, Marco Ragni and Valentin Birgan, the duo behind Plants Army Revolver, have been very quickly well-respected in the scene, for their obvious talent behind the machines. They belong to a family of artists including Valentino Mora, Crossing Avenue, Forest Drive West and natural/electronic.system, who are very accustomed to the tribal jam sessions and who contribute to bridging the gap between hypnotic techno and the chill-out culture.
“Chilling” is what the duo seems to do in the studio, having not released much material since their birth as PAR. Their last solo works can be heard in Lyre Kepler’s label Mental Modern: we remain in Italy obviously, with an art form that values the intimate link between sound and nature.
When you deal with artists accustomed to jam sessions, it often results in long sessions perfectly executed. Consequently, their “MNMT 325” mix for Monument is a prime example of this, as it flows seamlessly like a live set, that PAR also performs brilliantly, thinking of their memorable “Page 26” for the Memoir and of their live show at SubRadio.
In “MNMT 325“, the transitions are extraordinarily fluent, at a technical level rarely reached. The journey itself is particularly beautiful, trippy and evocative, for a one and a half hour of pure bliss. The energy is built around the efficient “Mountain pattern”, which contributes to the creation of a great emotional response, not in a blatant way though: it’s mainly the game of tension through the subtle rhythms, remarkable, that will initiate the pleasure of listening, along with the fantastic track selection. Before anything else, “MNMT 325” is a mix made to be relished…
Tracklist [Please buy the tracks to support the underground scene with us]
1. Christian Coiffure – Increased Mutualism (Varuna Remix) [Christian Coiffure]
2. Sindh – Sidam [IDO Records]
3. Alfred Czital – Hermannstraße 176 (with Jamida) [Harmony Rec.]
4. Marco Shuttle – Danza De Los Voladores [Incienso]
5. Tammo Hesselink – It Is Easy To See [Nous’klaer Audio]
6. Bambounou – Craig.py [Bambe]
7. Dino Sabatini – Akanke [Delsin Records]
8. Neel – Sciara [Spazio Disponibile]
9. Plants Army Revolver – Macao [Avian]
10. Space Drum Meditation – Fangs Of Gold (Mateo Hurtado Reduction) [Space Drum Meditation]
11. Talismann – Hoxe [Talismann]
12. Valentino Mora – Hydrosphere [EDO Records]
13. GEZA – DIA003 [Avian]
14. Zvrra – Society [Avian]
15. Shifted – Warm Currents [Avian]
16. Etapp Kyle – Unseen [Ostgut Ton]
WRITING BY: CEDRIC FINKBEINER | 16 MAY 2024
